August 10, 2023

I love summer. Not just because my birthday comes in summer but also because I have many wonderful memories of feeling healthy and vibrant in summer. From Memorial Day thru Labor Day, you could find me and my siblings at the town pool. Back in the day, teaching swimming lessons and lifeguarding took up most of my summers from the ages of twelve to twenty-two. Songs by Three Dog Night, The Eagles, The Bee Gees, America, Seals and Crofts, Elton John, Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose, Wings, and the Commodores blasted over the loud speakers competing with the screams and splashing of town kiddos often dropped off in the morning and not picked up until dinnertime. Suffice it to say that the summer ‘family pool pass’ was well worth its price in gold and this summer job was not only coveted but formative. 

It was hot in the high desert of western Colorado during the summers and shade was hard to come by. My tan lines were strikingly inconsistent and the backs of my legs were always in sharp contrast to the tops of my baked to golden brown thighs and tops of feet as the lifeguard chair umbrella could only extend so far without obscuring our line of site. My brown hair, bleached by the sun and pool chemicals was almost blond when school started in the fall. The smell of chlorine, Coppertone, Bain de Soleil, zinc oxide and baby oil soothed my senses and I can find myself back in the 70’s when applying sunscreen today.

While our jobs demanded focused attention on the different areas of the pool, there was also time for reflection as we sat alone in our chairs or paced the perimeter of the pool, the sun’s heat reflecting off the water splashed cement. Today, I am reflecting on the past few months as there have been some exciting moments. There was a six day hospital stay in May complete with an emergency angiogram in the cath lab. The good news is that I didn’t have a typical heart attack as my arteries were free of blockages. I did experience a heart ‘event’ but my heart has fully recovered according to followup testing. 

On June 4th, I was asked to represent the patient voice on a three person panel at the reception Foundation Medicine hosts every year during the ASCO convention in Chicago which was a true highlight and cherished memory. In mid June, we met with family to spread my mother’s ashes amongst the meadows and trees of Pinon Mesa, a favorite camping and fishing area of our family’s. Covid found us, and Jim and I spent the remainder of June quarantining and sleeping, grateful for a well stocked pandemic pantry of soup. I was prescribed antivirals for five days which lessened my symptoms but Jim got to experience the full effect. Covid sucks.

June also marked one year of being on Mobocertinib. 

My July PET/CT revealed that Mobocertinib is still working spectacularly well for keeping the cancer under control. The scan did show some Covid related inflammation in my lungs which we will keep an eye on but no abnormal SUV uptake was noted. 

July 19th marked seven years since my lung cancer discovery. Seven years…

And earlier this week was my birthday which we celebrated with Ben and his parents. A SPECTACULAR birthday cake made with love baked into its lemony goodness followed lots of Mimi and Ben play time bringing joy to my heart and I was sad for the day to end. 

All in all, I’d say this has been an eventful spring/summer so far.

Question: Can one buy an orange candle that smells like Bain de Soleil? Sometimes I just need that visceral summer hit while listening to ‘Crocodile Rock’ and ‘The Hustle’.

Benjamin: Colorado Kid – Photo by Aliene McDaniel.